Island rescue after three cut off by high tide

National Coastwatch Institution volunteers alerted HM Coastguard about the stranding and the RNLI got the call out by 11:30 BST

A man and two women were rescued from an island nature reserve after they got cut off by a rapidly rising tide.

Volunteers from the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) Brancaster in Norfolk spotted the stranding at Scolt Head Island on Saturday.

The hovercraft from RNLI Hunstanton was called at about 11:30 BST and was able to rescue the "cold and wet but otherwise uninjured" trio.

NCI Brancaster posted on Facebook the incident highlighted "the dangers of not understanding the tides and how easy it is to be stranded on Scolt Head Island".

RNLI Hunstanton is one of only four lifeboat stations in the UK to operate a hovercraft

An RNLI spokesperson said: "We took about 15 minutes to reach the scene.

"We found all three uninjured, although one of the women had lost her shoes."

The trio were part of a larger group of five people who had been spotted by NCI volunteers or watchkeepers, who alerted HM Coastguard, as first reported by the Eastern Daily Press.

Two of the group managed to wade over to the mainland.

The RNLI spokesperson said: "We urge anyone visiting the coast to check the tide time and beware of the risks."

Scolt Head Island is a national nature reserve between Brancaster and Wells-next-the-Sea. It is owned by National Trust and Norfolk Wildlife Trust and managed under lease by Natural England.

It is recommended the island is reached by ferry from Burnham Overy Staithe, which operates from April to September.